


Mãe Taylor( English Version)

by Nicolle_Midnight



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-29
Updated: 2013-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-16 14:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/862880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicolle_Midnight/pseuds/Nicolle_Midnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jennifer Taylor confronts Joan Kinney.</p><p>Please bear with me - I am not a native English speaker. </p><p>I want to thank Predec2 for her beautiful translation and for all her help.</p><p> </p><p>I do not own Queer as Folk or its characters. My stories are just for fun.</p><p> .</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mãe Taylor( English Version)

**Author's Note:**

> I imagined a meeting between Jennifer Taylor and Joan Kinney that showed Brian how important and loved he was by the people he chose as his true family.

Jennifer Taylor woke up early that morning; she had a busy day ahead of her. She was scheduled to meet a couple to show them a house they were interested in, and later she was supposed to tour some office space in a commercial building with another client. In addition to that, she had agreed to meet Brian for lunch at 1:00 p.m. at her son's request. 

 

Brian Kinney ... Jennifer had never hated Brian; she had simply been afraid that someone so much older than her son would break his heart. Turns out, she had been right initially, but despite her misgivings Justin had fallen in love with him and had continued to love him. She had been angry with Brian when her son had been brutally assaulted. She had wanted to push him away and some harsh words were spoken, even though the nurses had told her that Brian had been at the hospital every night, watching her child sleep. 

 

When Justin had finally been permitted to come home, she had asked Brian to stay away; after all, she reasoned, it was just a 'teenage' love; Justin would soon forget him. But that didn’t happen, and she had to finally admit that her son was, indeed, inexplicably in love with this older man. As time went on, she had to grudgingly admit that Brian seemed to always be there for Justin, and she had observed their love for each other growing stronger every day. Brian helped her son through crisis after crisis and was generous to a fault with his money. And when her son had left Brian temporarily for Ethan, Brian eventually forgave her son for his betrayal and ultimately admitted something that no one had expected to ever hear: he loved Justin and wanted to marry him. 

 

Justin had never given up on Brian, even when Brian had lost everything he had and continued to live a lifestyle that he did not really want. And he was by Brian's side during his cancer crisis, even when he fought with him and tried to push him away. 

 

She regretted it when Justin decided to leave Brian and head to New York. She knew that Brian was sacrificing his own wishes out of love for her son. When it happened, some doubted that their love would stand the test of time. But being a romantic at heart – and knowing how deeply they loved each other – she believed it would. Their love was strong and palpable. Jennifer, herself, had never seen anything quite like it. Today, she was actually thankful that Brian was in her son's life and loved her son still, despite living in different cities. Secretly, she thought it was time for Justin to return home; and if he ever asked her to help him with that, she would be more than willing to do so.

 

She nodded at Cynthia as she entered Brian's company, receiving a smile of greeting in return. "Hi, Jennifer. I'll let Brian know that you're here."

 

Announcing Jennifer's arrival to her boss over the interoffice intercom, Cynthia instructed her that she could go on into Brian's office.

 

"Jennifer!" Brian greeted her with a genuine smile as he scooted back from his desk chair and walked over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I admit I was a little surprised to hear from you."

 

"Hopefully surprised, but not unhappy about it," she inquired.

 

"Not at all," he assured her softly. "Any particular reason why you wanted to have lunch with me?"

 

"Do I have to have a reason?" she asked him coyly. "I'm probably the closest thing to a mother that you have." 

 

"How do you get that?" he asked. "Your son left me at the altar and fled to New York!" 

 

She laughed. "Now you're just being a drama queen!"

 

Brian curled his lips under. "Oh, my God. With each passing day, you're getting more and more like Debbie. I'm getting scared." 

 

She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment." 

 

"Did Justin put you up to this? Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"

 

"Why do you think Justin asked me to talk to you?"

 

He shrugged. "Oh, no reason. He's merely called me around ten times a day for the past three days, wondering if I had talked to you." 

 

Jennifer hesitated. "He's...Very anxious." 

 

Brian frowned. "About what?" 

 

"He...he wants to come back, Brian. He said there's no need now for him to stay any longer in New York."

 

Brian brushed his hand through his hair as he leaned against the edge of his desk. "I'm aware of that, Jennifer. We've talked about him returning. I just thought it was best for him to wait at least until the traveling exhibit he recently had came to Pittsburgh first. Are you sure that's what he really wants?" 

 

"He wants to make sure that you really want him to come back," she told him softly. 

 

Brian sighed. Was there ever any question about that? How could Justin still doubt his love for him? "Mother Taylor, I want nothing more than for Sunshine to come back home. It's been very difficult, having a partner living so far away. I want him back...and I want to resume our lives where they left off." 

 

Jennifer sighed in relief. "I'm so glad to hear that, Brian," she told him. 

 

"Anyway," Brian told her. "After I asked him to marry me, I would think it would be hard for your son to give up on me." 

 

"I'm sure he hasn't, Brian. Far from it."

 

He nodded at her with a smile, just before a very flustered-looking Cynthia interrupted them. "Brian, I'm sorry, but there's someone here who is insisting on seeing you..."

 

She was abruptly pushed aside as his mother came barging into the room. 

 

"Brian! I need to speak with you, and your secretary here wouldn't let me in," she told her son with disdain, her nose in the air. "I'm your mother; I don't need to be announced first."

 

Brian sighed. "Mother, Cynthia has been instructed to announce everyone who wants to enter my office," he told her. "She was just doing her job." 

 

"Brian? You want me to...?"

 

Brian shook his head, realizing what Cynthia was trying to suggest. "No," he told her quietly. "You can go, Cynthia; thank you." Cynthia nodded before turning and quietly exiting the room.

 

"Now, Mother. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Brian asked her sarcastically. 

 

Joan peered over at the slim, blond woman watching their interaction curiously. "I need to speak to you in private, Brian." 

 

Brian took a deep breath. "Mother...This is Jennifer Taylor, Justin's mother. He's the one you ran into at my loft that day. Justin's my partner, Mother. Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of her." 

 

"Brian, it's okay. I'll wait outside in the lobby," Jennifer hastily responded as she gave the other woman a polite smile. It...it was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kinney."

 

But Brian shook his head firmly. "No, Jennifer. You don't need to leave. This won't take long." 

Joan just began to realize exactly what her son had said as her brows narrowed in disbelief. "Your partner? Are you talking about that BOY I saw in your apartment?" 

"Yes, Mom," Brian told her wearily. "That 'boy' and I have been together for seven years now. And we're getting married, too." 

Joan Kinney looked at her son horrified. Now Brian was deepening his offense toward God, mocking the sanctity of marriage that should only be between a man and a woman and not between two men. She decided that Brian had actually lost his soul. She could not help but grieve deeply. This was her son. She wanted to run away, but Joan needed something from him and she couldn't leave even if she wanted to.

 

"Mother, what do you want?" Brian pressed when she didn't answer him.

 

Forcing down the bile in her throat, she began to explain, "Claire's husband is trying to gain custody of their children. The divorce coming up has made her depressed, and he has the gall to claim that she can't take proper care of them! I'm...I'm afraid that if she does lose her children, she might do something foolish. She needs a lawyer, Brian, but there's no way she can afford to pay for one." 

 

Brian arched one eyebrow. "And you expect me to pay for one?"

 

"Please Brian!" she implored. "Think about your sister and your nephews!"

 

He laughed at her in derision. "Just like you thought of me when John accused me of abusing him?"

 

Joan had the decency to avert her eyes in shame as Brian walked back to his desk and pulled out a drawer to retrieve a small business card. Walking back over to his mother, he told her, "Tell Claire to contact this guy, Gregory Phillips. He's a lawyer who has done some legal work for Kinnetik in the past. I'll call him and ask him to take her case, and I'll take care of the payments. Just so you know, too, Mother...he's gay." Somehow he found a unique sense of poetic justice in that fact. 

 

She huffed. "It's no wonder, since you insist on maintaining a lifestyle that is both sinful and offensive to God. Hopefully you'll repent before it's too late." She turned to look at Jennifer as she told her, "I hope your son does the same, Mrs. Taylor, and finds the true path of God." 

 

Jennifer opened her mouth to vehemently protest, but Brian beat her to it. "No one here needs to repent, Mother. Because there's nothing to be repent FOR. I won't apologize for how I live. I love Justin and I WILL marry him. And if your God winds up condemning me to Hell, then that would be better for me anyway, because it means I won't have to live in Heaven with YOU...Saint Joan." 

 

His mother peered back at him in sad repulsion. "Even though you continue to mock my faith, Brian, you are still my son. I'll continue to pray for you. Thank you for helping your sister." 

 

Brian shook his head, realizing it would be fruitless to try and reason with her. "Goodbye, mother," he dismissed her quietly.

 

As she turned to go, Jennifer eyed her with disgust. She had known from what her son had told her that the relationship between Brian and his mother had always been tense. But now, after witnessing it firsthand, she began to understand why Brian tended to keep his emotions bottled up inside, and how much he was in need of being loved. She could not let this horrid woman leave without speaking her mind. 

 

"Excuse me, Mrs. Kinney," she called over to the other woman. Joan slowly turned around to face her. "But my son doesn’t need your forgiveness or your pity – and he doesn't need to repent, either, and neither does Brian."

 

"What right do you have..."

 

"You're going to listen to me!" Jennifer told her, her voice rising slightly. "I've watched my son and your son for the past several years. I've seen how much love they have for each other. What they have is a blessing, and a love as big as theirs could never be a 'sin.' I used to have doubts about the two of them being together," she admitted to the other woman. "I wanted to protect Justin back then. But I could see how much Brian loved my son, and how much Justin loved him. I couldn't deny that any longer; nor would I have wanted to. If I had, it would have hurt my son deeply. Love is unconditional, Mrs. Kinney. I'm proud of my son, of his talent and of the young man that he has become. His homosexuality is part of who he is, and I accept it unconditionally. He's a man of integrity and honesty, a great friend and a wonderful partner to your son, with the kindest heart that I know. I am grateful that Brian loves my son and makes him happy. I feel sorry for you, actually," she told Joan as her mouth gaped open in astonishment. 

 

"I pity you. You don't realize how empty your hatred makes you by not accepting your son for the wonderful person that he is. But that's okay. Because I already consider him MY son – just as much as Justin is. And I love him just as much, too." 

 

Joan divided her attention between this outspoken woman and her son. Was it possible that there was some truth in what this woman was saying? Had everything she believed been wrong all this time? She did love her son; she always had. But she had never been a demonstrative mother. Somewhere along the line, things had changed between her and Brian, though, and she felt like she had lost whatever love he had felt for her a long time ago. She had no idea now how to get it back, either. There had been so much heartache and resentment along the way, so many things that had been left unsaid between them. All that pretty much remained now was a heavy, tense silence. 

 

She felt tears prickling the back of her eyes, but she was Joan Kinney. She would NOT cry; she wasn't a weakling. She remained silent, instead. She had always been taught that you did not openly demonstrate your emotions, or you would only wind up getting hurt. She suddenly felt like she was drowning; she had to get out of there. Despite this other woman's convictions, she wasn't ready to accept her son the way that she did. She didn't know if she ever would. 

 

Pursing her lips tightly together, she finally replied quietly, "I hope you know what you're doing, Mrs. Taylor." She turned to her son. "Goodbye, Brian," she softly said. "And I'll tell Claire she owes you her thanks."

 

Jennifer shook her head in resignation as she watched her go. "Goodbye, Mrs. Kinney," she replied as the woman left Brian's office. 

 

Brian remained quiet for a few moments as he watched his mother leave, feeling a swell of gratitude for Jennifer's staunch support of him. His partner's mother had become a friend to him – and was much more of a mother to him than his own mother would ever be; that realization touched him deeply.

 

"Thank you, Jennifer," he told Justin's mother softly.

 

"You're welcome, Brian," she replied. She smiled softly. "But I think it's best that you call me 'mother' from now on, because to me you're my son, also." 

 

Brian rolled his tongue into his cheek and smiled. He could see who Justin had inherited a lot of his most endearing qualities from. He walked a few paces over to place a kiss on Jennifer's cheek, feeling the love radiating from her as she slid her arms around him to embrace him. It had taken him a long time to realize that he was worthy of being loved, and that it wasn't blood that made a true family; it was how they treated you and how they loved you. At that moment, as he held his 'mother' in his arms, he felt an enormous sense of peace. And he was ready to be happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments would be appreciated. English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistakes.


End file.
